As a retired person could you live on £10,000 a year.?

[allamberedover]

To cover bills but not housing costs.

Buses are free don’t forget, and there’ll be council tax reductions. Students live off this amount, including rent (and they don’t all have jobs or helpful parents to top up)!

It’s frugal but manageable. Yes insurance would need adding - £30 a month say. Same again for dentist. Pension is more than in OP though so that difference could cover those plus a small bit of saving to replace the microwave (though if you’re resourceful things can be replaced for free judging from my local FB!)

Do you not need any dentist visits or opticians? Chiropodist? Insurance for your home and contents? Tv subscriptions? Hairdressers? Beauty treatments? Gym membership or swimming or similar? No pets? Nobody to buy gifts for? Entry into social events, cinema trips, days out, coffee mornings?

Would you run a car though given you’d get free bus travel and would be on a budget?

@Upsetbetty - my joint gas and electric bill for last month was £34. Even in winter it doesn’t get above £90 per month. No solar. Just me and my cats in a 2 bed mid terrace. It’s just different lifestyles.

No , not to lead a full life .

I live on £8000. No mortgage or kids, always been frugal so it's fine. I have savings for extraordinary expenses and share bills with partner. It's attitude as well as amount though.

Nope. Council tax on its own is £380.

Possibly if only me, but with DH not a chance!!

That's a really good way of putting it I think. Unless you enjoy being frugal (some people do)

I think we'll see an increase in friends moving in together in old age.

I wish I had when I first became a single mum!

Students know it is temporary. Buses aren’t in all areas and with age comes mobility restrictions. Students can walk bloody miles, their socialising is different. You can not compare the two.

I know students that happily lie in their rooms plugged in or zoned out and they need that down time. If they can’t afford to regularly socialise then they are ok with chilling in the park or common room or online. It’s temporary. That isolation for retired older folk is a fucking killer.

Being so blase about it online as if, oh well, students do it so they can too, is just wrong. You’re simplifying it by completely erasing social and emotional needs in later life.

If you are a couple on double that, I think it's really easy. We are not of retirement age, but in our early 60s. We run two cars, went away, and spent less than £18k last year. But then we have an allotment, and had no major capital expenditure last year. One person on £10k would be a whole lot harder though.

Well, the assumption would be you’d cut your cloth more appropriately and live somewhere with a more sensible council tax banding.

Where are all these fantastic bus routes you speak of?

If I really had to then yes but I wouldn’t want to. It wouldn’t be a very nice life.

My mum does.

not sure I could

Insurance and medical I added later, would a tv subscription be propriety? Or gym membership? £50’a week for spends on family, garden centre, cinema, coffee seems ok - it’s frugal but covers a couple of regular nice activities each week. A pensioner on a budget is going to be doing low key socialising, not regular spa weekends with the girls.

And the single person discount!

I don’t think so.

I would need around £1200 I think to live a fairly dull life. £1500 would be ok for me I think .

You don't really live on £8000 though do you. You have savings for expenses, and share bills with your partner.

Tv subscriptions? Hairdressers? Beauty treatments? Gym membership or swimming or similar? No pets? Nobody to buy gifts for? Entry into social events, cinema trips, days out, coffee mornings?
I think I just enjoy cheap hobbies :) Not interested in hairdressers, beauty treatments, walking is free, the allotment saves us money, I foster pets, my friends and I visit each other for coffee.

No.

I keep thinking how the lenses in my glasses cost £350 and how essential hygienist appointments are to health and they are £100.

But student socialising is way more expensive! Pensioners don’t go to spoons every Friday and buy bottles of vodka to pre with.

Agree that isolation is awful, and if you’re in a rural area with poor transport, you need way more. But in a town, with reasonable transport, a few friends locally, a church maybe, some council provided activities (we have a couple
of commmunity centres with weekly classes for a couple of quid for pensioners - realise that may be unusual), a library then it’s ok. As I said - frugal but manageable.

friends moving in together?
the older the get the more intolerant you get i think
people would hate it!

£12k is my number that will cover everything bills wise , Christmas birthdays gifts and one UK holiday